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This  record  is  a partial  extract  of  the  original  cable.  The  full  text  of  the  original  cable  is  not  available 
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CONFIDENTIAL  PT08587 

PAGE  01  HARARE  03715  131614Z 

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FM  AMEMBASSY  HARARE 

TO  SECSTATE  WASHDC  PRIORITY  0535 

INFO  NSC  WASHDC  PRIORITY 

SOUTHERN  AFRICAN  DEVELOPMENT  COMMUNITY 

AMEMBASSY  NAIROBI 

CONFIDENTIAL  HARARE  003715 
SIPDIS 


NSC  FOR  SENIOR  AFRICA  DIRECTOR  JENDAYI  FRAZER 
LONDON  FOR  GURNEY 
PARIS  FOR  NEARY 
NAIROBI  FOR  PFLAUMER 

E.O.  12958:  DECL.  12/13/11 
TAGS:  ETRD  ECON  PHUM  PREL  ZI 

SUBJECT:  AGOA  DECISION  CONVEYED  TO  GOVERNMENT  OF  ZIMBABWE 

REF:  STATE  211333 


CLASSIFIED  BY  POLITICAL  SECTION  CHIEF  MATT  HARRINGTON. 
REASONS : 1.5  ( B ) AND  ( D ) . 

11.  (U)  POLITICAL  SECTION  CHIEF  DELIVERED  REFTEL  TALKING 

POINTS  ON  DECEMBER  13  TO  MINISTRY  OF  FINANCE  PERMANENT 
SECRETARY  NICHOLAS  NCUBE . POLCHIEF  REPORTED  THAT  ZIMBABWE 


SIPDIS 

WOULD  NOT  QUALIFY  FOR  AGOA  BENEFITS  IN  2002,  DESCRIBED  THE 
REASONS  ELABORATED  IN  REFTEL,  AND  LEFT  NCUBE  WITH  A NON- 
PAPER. HE  STRESSED  THAT  THIS  WAS  NOT  A PERMANENT  DECISION. 
WE  CONDUCT  AN  ELIGIBILITY  REVIEW  ANNUALLY,  AND  SIGNIFICANT 
PROGRESS  IN  ADDRESSING  USG  CONCERNS  WOULD  STRENGTHEN 
ZIMBABWE'S  CHANCES  FOR  ELIGIBILITY  IN  2003. 

12.  (C)  THE  DECISION  WAS  NOT  A SURPRISE  TO  NCUBE.  WHILE  HE 
WOULD  HAVE  PREFERRED  A DIFFERENT  OUTCOME,  HE  DESCRIBED  THE 
USG  DETERMINATION  AS  "STRAIGHTFORWARD,  BASED  PRIMARILY  ON 
GOOD  GOVERNANCE  CONCERNS . " HE  LAMENTED  THAT  THE  GOVERNMENT 
HAS  BEEN  IN  ELECTION  MODE  FOR  ALMOST  THREE  YEARS,  BEGINNING 
WITH  THE  FAILED  CAMPAIGN  FOR  A NEW  CONSTITUTION  IN  1999. 
DURING  THAT  PERIOD,  ALL  GOZ  POLICIES  HAVE  BEEN  CONSIDERED 
WITH  THE  NEED  TO  WIN  THE  PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTION  IN  MIND.  HE 
AND  FINANCE  MINISTER  MAKONI  HAVE  BEEN  RESTRICTED  PRIMARILY 
TO  DAMAGE  CONTROL  — HE  SHOOK  HIS  HEAD  AT  SOME  OF  THE 
PROPOSALS  THAT  HAVE  LANDED  ON  HIS  DESK  — BUT  HE  HOPED 
THAT,  ONCE  THE  ELECTION  IS  OVER,  HE  AND  HIS  BOSS  CAN  BEGIN 
TO  NURSE  ZIMBABWE'S  ECONOMY  BACK  TO  HEALTH. 

13.  (C)  COMMENT:  LIKE  HIS  BOSS,  SIMBA  MAKONI,  NCUBE  IS  A 
FRANK  INTERLOCUTOR  WHO  IS  USUALLY  HONEST  ABOUT  HIS 
UNHAPPINESS  OVER  THE  NATIONAL  POLITICAL  ENVIRONMENT  HERE. 

IN  THIS  MEETING,  HE  WAS  MOST  FRUSTRATED  THAT  ZANU-PF ' S 
DETERMINATION  TO  WIN  THE  PRESIDENTIAL  ELECTION  HAS 
PREVENTED  HIS  MINISTRY  FROM  ADDRESSING  THIS  COUNTRY'S 

CONFIDENTIAL 

PAGE  03  HARARE  03715  131614Z 

SERIOUS  ECONOMIC  PROBLEMS,  AND  HE  WAS  RESIGNED  TO  THE  FACT 
THAT  THIS  WOULD  CONTINUE  TO  BE  THE  CASE  UNTIL  THE  ELECTION. 
WE  HAVE  NO  DOUBT  THAT  THE  AGOA  DECISION,  FOLLOWING  SO 
CLOSELY  ON  THE  HEELS  OF  ZDERA'S  PASSAGE,  WILL  LEAD  THE  GOZ 
TO  MOVE  US  UP  A NOTCH  OR  TWO  ON  THE  ENEMIES  LIST  AND  TO 
SUBJECT  US  TO  FURTHER  ROASTING  FROM  THE  GOVERNMENT- 
CONTROLLED  PRESS  — LED  BY  INFORMATION  MINISTER  JONATHAN 
MOYO. 

SULLIVAN 


CONFIDENTIAL 


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